I have been working on the plans for the dogservatory for quite a while. I have carefully measured everything (at least twice), drawn plans, made spreadsheets.
The base that the telescope will be mounted to is called a pier. In order to have a steady base, I need to pour a cement pad to mount the pier on. The manufacturer recommends that the pier be set on a 18x18x36 inch concrete pad. That is a pretty big hole to fill with concrete, but it gets even bigger. In order to make everything fit inside the doghouse I will have to have the base of the pier 24 inches below ground.
That means if I decide to follow the manufacturer's recommendation I'm going to be digging a 5 foot deep hole in my back yard. I have a lead on someone with a skid loader and an auger who will dig the hole for around $200, but I'm going to try to dig it by hand first - something about being cheap and wanting to get some exercise. Given that I live at the base of the Rocky Mountains, I'm going to hit some rocks. I'll just have to decide if there are $200 worth of rocks as I go along.
I've borrowed tools from my friends, had the utility companies do locates in my yard, and have actually been ready to start digging for a while. But other things have happened around the house that have needed my attention, and it is is important to never underestimate my ability to procrastinate when it comes to digging a 5 foot hole.
Winter is coming, and unless I wanted to wait until spring to finish this project, I needed to get started.
So, today I got out the tape measure, my friend's wheelbarrow, and my shovel. It isn't much, but it is a start.
The base that the telescope will be mounted to is called a pier. In order to have a steady base, I need to pour a cement pad to mount the pier on. The manufacturer recommends that the pier be set on a 18x18x36 inch concrete pad. That is a pretty big hole to fill with concrete, but it gets even bigger. In order to make everything fit inside the doghouse I will have to have the base of the pier 24 inches below ground.
That means if I decide to follow the manufacturer's recommendation I'm going to be digging a 5 foot deep hole in my back yard. I have a lead on someone with a skid loader and an auger who will dig the hole for around $200, but I'm going to try to dig it by hand first - something about being cheap and wanting to get some exercise. Given that I live at the base of the Rocky Mountains, I'm going to hit some rocks. I'll just have to decide if there are $200 worth of rocks as I go along.
I've borrowed tools from my friends, had the utility companies do locates in my yard, and have actually been ready to start digging for a while. But other things have happened around the house that have needed my attention, and it is is important to never underestimate my ability to procrastinate when it comes to digging a 5 foot hole.
Winter is coming, and unless I wanted to wait until spring to finish this project, I needed to get started.
So, today I got out the tape measure, my friend's wheelbarrow, and my shovel. It isn't much, but it is a start.
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